Regular guys are taking a shine to jewelry.
Women still buy far more bling than men, by a ratio of roughly 9 to 1, according to the Jewelry Consumer Opinion Council. But the guys are catching up.
Last year, men’s jewelry represented about 10 percent of the $48.3 billion in fine jewelry sales in the U.S., according to a study by National Jeweler magazine. This excludes watch sales. Figures from previous years were never gathered because the category barely existed.
“Men are spending more time grooming themselves,” said Brian Nohe, president of fine jewelry manufacturer Spectore Corp. “That carries over into the men’s jewelry market.”
So much so that insiders estimate the industry has seen a 20 percent growth in men’s jewelry just in the past few years. “In 2005, there must have been at least 20 new brands added in men’s jewelry,” says Jeff Prine, executive editor of Modern Jeweler magazine.
The bauble bend can be attributed to silver-screen studs Brad Pitt, Johnny Depp and Orlando Bloom, among others. Also helpful is the butch factor rising every time an athlete such as David Beckham shows off new bling. And rappers and rockers have been dripping in diamonds and platinum for years.
Whatever the influence, regular guys are investing in cuff links, watches and rings from high-end jewelers like Tiffany & Co. But they also hit the mainstream department stores and mass retailers for less expensive, more fun pieces.
“Men are saying, ‘I have a fabulous watch, now I need a fabulous ring or bracelet,’ ” said Tom Carroll, a regional vice president of Tiffany & Co in Atlanta.
Hip-hop mogul Russell Simmons’ company is one of the latest to add a men’s jewelry collection. Simmons Jewelry Co. earlier this year came out with bracelets, chains, pendants, rings and diamond earrings that have an edgy, urban feel. They are made of alternative materials such as rubber and steel, and accented with distinctly hip-hop images, such as microphones and dice.
Simmons says he knew the line–sold at Macy’s department stores for an average price of about $400–would take off. All the men he knows, he says, are big fans of jewelry.
“It’s really cool and fun,” Simmons said. “It really fits my masculine, male image.”
Simmons’ pieces fit the alternative style trend in men’s jewelry. Many young men are choosing funkier styles, from Indian-inspired, rich-hippie styles by Me&Ro to snub-nosed punk-edged designs by Tom Binns. Even at the stalwart Tiffany & Co., group vice president Melvyn Kirtley said that men are venturing into the women’s collections for necklaces and bracelets with an ethnic or organic feel.
New York designer Philip Crangi’s designs are epitomized by slim chains with pendants such as slender polished tusks or old-school anchors. Crangi pointed to Bloom’s sexy, laid-back-surfer style as the kind of style-setter fueling the trend.
“He’s got a crazy collection of necklaces,” Crangi said. “He can carry it off. He looks fashionable without being cheesy.”
For many young fans, jewelry has largely lost the connotations of effeminacy, class or ethnicity that long kept it outside the mainstream.
“My philosophy is that whatever it is, it has to have some kind of meaning,” said Chris Dudensing, 22, a college student from Duxbury, Mass.
Over the past few years, Dudensing has collected several prized tokens. “The piece that gets the most comment is a piece of fossil that a friend of mine brought back from Kenya,” he said. “People always ask, ‘Is that a shark tooth?’ I don’t know what it is.”
Baubles for the boys
Fine jewelry for men is considered the fastest-growing sector in the industry according to the Jewelry Information Center, an industry trade group. Here’s the evidence:
– Kay Jewelers has expanded its men’s section from studs and hoops to sporty bracelets and three-stone diamond rings; kay.com.
– Tiffany is expanding its cufflink/watch section to now include sporty men’s jewelry; tiffany.com.
– Wal-Mart, the nation’s top jewelry retailer according to the Jewelry Council, has added a special section dedicated to men’s jewelry at walmart.com.
– Evan Yurman men’s designer for his father, David Yurman, said the company has seen “strong double-digit increases since last year;” davidyurman.com.
– New York designer Philip Crangi has more than tripled his men’s business in the last year and a half; philipcrangi.com.
– Tahitian pearls are growing in popularity–retailers are marketing one simple Tahitian pearl strung on a simple leather cord for men.
– Tanzanite is now being marketed to men as both an investment and the official stone for men to give women when they give birth.
[SOUTH FLORIDA SUN-SENTINEL; NEWS SERVICES].BLING IT ON
– Sean Combs wears a rubber bracelet from Russell Simmons’ men’s jewelry collection in the video “Nasty Girl.”
– Kanye West (right) is one hip-hop star who goes for the gold standard.
– Wilmer Valderrama (right) often wears chunky gold rings at premieres and other events.
– Soccer phenom David Beckham (far right) sports everything from crosses to earrings.
Actor Adrien Brody wore a design from the Simmons Jewelry Co. to the “King Kong” premiere in December.
– “Miami Vice” star Colin Farrell (right) wears a necklace with a pendant to do press for the movie.
